IMPACT — JULY / AUG 2015 PAGE 11

InSUrAnCEInSIGHTSBy Ken Fuirst andJason Schiciano,Levitt-Fuirst Associates

TECH TALK

By Andrea WagnerWagner Web Designs, Inc.

DANBURY, Conn.—in the movie Field of Dreams, the leg-endary baseball players were eventually summoned to the field if it was fully built.

i use this line to compare the real deal to clients: “if you build it and market the hell out of it, they may come.”

the latter phrase is a more accurate statement. Having a website built and not marketing it is like creating an advertisement and not putting it anywhere. Sure, you can send people to look at it, but what about the people you don’t know who are searching for your services?

With 1 billion websites competing for Number One spots on google for various placements, you can imagine how tough it is to get your site noticed. Hundreds of so-called SEO experts are combing the internet daily to email or call you, and tell you how they can help you get better rank-ings. they prey on you and offer you things. Beware!

the Search Engine Optimization methods used in the past are not as effective as they once were. While there are definite ways to reach a higher position, the formulas are dramatically dif-ferent, with Social Media playing a larger factor in achieving higher rankings.

The Muststhese are the “top Five Musts” in order to compete in today’s challenging ranking game:Your site must be Optimized and Mobile Friendly. Your list of services should be divided

into separate pages so that they are searchable (call the page plumbing, for example, in-stead of general services). Your content needs to have the keywords so there is a match when searched.

Your domain name and site need to be verified with google, google Maps, Alexa (Amazon’s Browser) and Bing. Your webmaster can do this for you.

inbound links still rule. if a site is linking to yours, that is a good thing. it doesn’t matter how many outbound links you provide.

Social Media plays a big part. this can include Linkedin (have you published anything worth sharing, any news?). Blogging, Facebook, twitter, instagram, Pinterest, etc., are all constantly updated content and, while every Social Media Platform, isn’t right for every business, find the one(s) that work for you.

install a tracking Code. See how your site is doing, how users are finding you. What key-words are they using to search? Capitalize on this valuable data to help drive traffic to your site!Editor’s Note: Andrea Wagner is the owner of Wagner Web Designs, Inc, a web firm spe-cializing in small business and Optimized Web sites. For answers to your web-related questions, please call (914) 245 2626.

If you Build It, They Will Come!

YONKERS—Contractors, Property Managers, and Re-altors—do these scenarios sound familiar?

ContractorsYou are a Contractor on a

job. the general Contractor, or the Project Owner, won’t let you start work, continue work, or get paid for work, until you’ve submitted a Certificate of insurance, which contains specific wording about your li-ability insurance policy’s cover-ages to the Additional insured (gC or project owner).

You call your insurance bro-ker to obtain the certificate, and the broker says the certificate can’t be issued as requested, because the requested word-ing is not consistent with the policy coverages.

Property Managers/realtors

You are involved in the refi-nance of a cooperative build-ing, or the sale/refinance of a condo/co-op unit. You’re at the

New Insurance Certificate Law Is Effective July 28, 2015

closing table, and the lender’s representative says the loan cannot be closed without a Certificate of insurance, con-taining specific wording about the type of Building Property insurance Coverage. it’s the first time the requirement has come-up, and if the required certificate is not provided, the borrower could lose a rate-lock, or face financial penalties for not closing the loan.

You call your insurance bro-ker to obtain the certificate, and the broker says the certificate can’t be issued as requested, because the requested word-ing is not consistent with the policy coverages.

“no-Win” Situation As those who have been a

party to either of the above sce-narios know, things can get quite uncomfortable. Often, the insurance broker must decide whether to issue an “inaccu-rate” certificate, which meets the requirements, or risk dam-aging the relationship with his/

her client for preventing the cli-ent from closing the deal, or getting paid. if the insurance broker refuses to acquiesce, the Contractor, Property Man-ager, or Realtor are placed in a no-win situation with the gC,

Building Owner, or Lender.

The new Law Effective July 28, 2015,

there is a new law, which pro-hibits any person/entity from “willfully requiring” a Certifi-cate of insurance that con-tains false or misleading infor-mation. Specifically, the law makes it illegal to require that a Certificate of insurance include

language that is not expressly found in the insurance policy represented on the certificate. the law:• Prohibits requiring addition-

al terms, conditions, or lan-guage, including warranties or guarantees, of any kind, which are not found in the insurance policy.

• Prohibits requiring a certifi-cate that amends, extends, or alters coverage provided by the insurance policy.

• Prohibits requiring certifi-cate language that confers

rights beyond those provid-ed in the insurance policy, to any person/entity.in addition, the law states

that certificate holders can only require Certificates of insur-ance that are either:• A form issued by the insur-

ance carrier referenced in the Certificate of insurance; or

• A standard Certificate of in-

Clearly, this new law is a victory for those in the construction, real estate, and insurance industries, whom previously had no leverage to push-back when improper insurance certificate demands were made.

surance Form approved for use by the Superintendent of Financial Services.A list of currently approved

Certificate of insurance For-mats can be found at: http://www.dfs.ny.gov/insurance/insurers/cert_ins_approved.htm.

the law makes it illegal to require an unapproved Certifi-cate of insurance in conjunc-tion with: awarding contracts; permitting work to start or con-tinue; releasing payment for completed work.

the New York State De-partment of Financial Servic-es may assess fines of up to $1,000 for the first offense, and $2,000 for each subsequent of-fense for those willfully requir-ing improper certificate lan-guage.

Clearly, this new law is a vic-tory for those in the construc-tion, real estate, and insurance industries, whom previously had no leverage to push-back when improper insurance cer-tificate demands were made.Editor’s Note: Levitt-Fuirst Associates in the Insur-ance Manager for The Build-ers Institute (BI)/Building and Realty Institute (BRI) of Westchester and The Mid-Hudson Region. The firm can be reached at (914) 376-2500.

THE CCAC MEETS – The May 20 Membership Meeting of The Co-operative and Condominium Advisory Council (CCAC) examined the reassessment process in the Town of Greenburgh and its ef-fects on co-ops and condos. More than 45 CCAC members at-tended the event at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains. Pic-tured during the program are, at the podium, from left to right, Program Speakers Dan Finger, Esq., Finger and Finger, A Profes-sional Corporation; and Kevin M. Schick, McGrath and Company, Inc., real Estate Appraisers and Counselors. —Photo by Jeff Hanley

SWOrn In – Carl Finger, a Scarsdale resident and associate counsel to The Building and realty Institute (BrI), was recent-ly sworn in as a newly-elected Trustee for the Village Board of Scarsdale. Finger is pictured, on the left, during the ceremony.—Photo by Albert Annunziata

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